CN110941349A

CN110941349A - Computing device with microphone under keyboard

Info

Publication number: CN110941349A
Application number: CN201910437845.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: N·A·伦达; D·M·罗克福德; J·L·伯克; 冯婵娟; D·K·布斯; D·D·赫希
Original assignee: Apple Inc
Current assignee: Apple Inc
Priority date: 2018-09-24
Filing date: 2019-05-24
Publication date: 2020-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2039-05-24
Also published as: US20200097053A1; US10942548B2; CN110941349B

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to "computing devices with microphones under keyboards". A computing device includes one or more microphones that function seamlessly with other components within the computing device. In one embodiment, the microphone opening is disposed below the keyboard with a passageway from the microphone to an opening located between the keyboard web and a keycap of the keyboard. In another embodiment, the two microphones may be spaced apart from a keyboard region of the device, and a third microphone may be disposed below the keyboard region with a passageway from the microphones to an opening located between the keyboard web and a keycap of the keyboard.

Description

Computing device with microphone under keyboard

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present patent application claims us provisional patent application serial No. 62/735,311 entitled "Method for Porting microphone through Keyboard" filed 24.9.2018; and us patent application 16/275,755 entitled "Method for Porting a Microphone through a keyboard", filed 2019, 2, month 14; both of these applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and for all purposes.

Technical Field

The described embodiments relate generally to computing devices. More particularly, embodiments herein relate to forming a channel for a microphone under a keyboard of a computing device.

Background

Many computing devices, such as laptop computers, include applications that implement video calls and/or virtual assistants that respond to voice commands. Such applications capture audio information from a microphone disposed within a housing or shell of the computing device. Capturing audio information from a computing device at far-field distances (e.g., greater than three meters) can be difficult, and requires that multiple microphones be arranged in some configurations.

As computing devices become smaller, internal component densities increase, which may provide constraints on microphone placement, making it challenging to provide microphone implementations in such devices that produce strong audio performance at both near-field and far-field distances. In addition, the location of openings in the device housing or case that enable microphones arranged in a particular configuration optimized for audio performance to receive audio signals generated from outside the device may detract from the aesthetic appearance of the device.

Disclosure of Invention

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are related to a computing device that includes one or more microphones positioned within a housing of the device in unobtrusive locations that do not distract from the aesthetic appeal of the device. The computing device may include a keyboard, wherein each keycap is coupled to the circuit board and extends through a keyboard aperture in the device housing. The microphone may be positioned under the circuit board directly under the keyboard. An audio channel may be formed from the microphone through the hole in the circuit board and between one or more of the key caps and an edge of the keyboard hole, thereby enabling the microphone to detect sounds external to the computing device through the audio channel.

Some embodiments may include multiple microphones within the device housing in a manner that provides powerful audio performance at both near-field and far-field distances. For example, in some embodiments, a computing device may include at least three microphones arranged in a triangular arrangement. The first and second microphones may be configured and optimized to detect near-field audio and may be disposed in an area spaced apart from the keypad within the device housing. The third microphone may be configured and optimized for far-field audio and positioned directly below the keyboard as described herein. While some embodiments are particularly applicable to laptops and other computers, the embodiments described herein are not limited to any particular computing device and may be used with many different computing devices that include one or more microphones and a keyboard.

In some embodiments, a computing device may include a base portion and a keyboard. The keyboard may include a plurality of keycaps extending from a plurality of openings in a top surface of the base portion. A microphone support member having an upper surface and a lower surface may be disposed within the base portion and have a hole formed between the upper surface and the lower surface. The microphone may also be disposed within the base portion below the keyboard. The microphone may be coupled to a lower surface of the microphone support element and aligned with the aperture, and the one or more internal components disposed in the base portion may combine to form or define an audio channel extending from the microphone through the aperture of the microphone support element to a gap formed between one of the plurality of key caps and a sidewall surface of one of the plurality of openings in the top surface of the base portion.

In some embodiments, a computing device may include a housing having a first outer surface defining a plurality of openings and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface. A keyboard may be coupled to the housing. The keyboard may include a keyboard substrate disposed within the housing and a plurality of keycaps attached to the keyboard substrate, wherein each individual keycap protrudes through and fills a majority of a respective opening of the plurality of openings. The keyboard substrate may include a hole formed through the keyboard substrate, and the first microphone may be disposed between the first outer surface and the second outer surface within the housing. The computing device may also include an audio channel extending from the first microphone through the hole and through the gap between the one of the plurality of key caps and the respective one of the plurality of openings. The audio channel may be defined by one or more internal components of the computing device disposed within the housing. In some implementations, the computing device can also include a second microphone and a third microphone disposed in an area spaced apart from the keyboard within the housing.

In some further embodiments, a computing device according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a keyboard, and at least three microphones. The housing may include a first outer surface defining a plurality of openings spaced in one or more rows and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface. The keyboard may include a keyboard circuit board disposed within the housing and having a hole formed therethrough. The keyboard may further include a plurality of key caps attached to the keyboard circuit board, wherein at least an individual key cap of the plurality of key caps protrudes through and fills a majority of a respective opening of the plurality of openings. A first microphone and a second microphone of the at least three microphones may be disposed within the housing in an area spaced apart from the keypad, and a third microphone may be disposed within the housing between the keypad circuit board and the second exterior surface of the housing. An audio channel defined by one or more internal components disposed in the base portion of the housing may extend from the third microphone through the aperture and through the gap between the at least one individual keycap and a respective opening of the plurality of openings.

In some embodiments, at least three microphones are included in the computing device. The three microphones may be arranged in a triangular pattern and be part of a three-microphone array. Additionally, in some embodiments including three microphones, the microphone disposed below the keyboard is optimized to receive far-field audio, while the other two microphones are positioned adjacent microphone openings in the housing that are spaced apart from the keyboard and optimized to receive near-field audio.

For a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following description and accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for purposes of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure. Moreover, as a general rule, and unless clearly contrary to the description, elements in different figures use the same reference numeral, the elements are generally the same or at least similar in function or purpose.

Drawings

The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve only to provide examples of possible structures and arrangements of the disclosed inventive apparatus and methods for providing a computing device. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to the invention by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The embodiments will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

fig. 1 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of a computing device according to the present disclosure in the form of a computing device in an open (lid) state.

FIG. 2A is a detailed view of a portion of a top case of the computing device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion of the top shell depicted in FIG. 2A in an area surrounding the lower left keycap.

Fig. 3 shows an internal view of the top case in the area of the microphone and battery tray.

Fig. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary keyboard printed circuit board, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is an internal view of a microphone channel in accordance with some embodiments of a computing device according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is an internal view of a microphone channel in accordance with some embodiments of a computing device according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 illustrates an example flow diagram for forming an audio channel for a microphone through a keyboard of a computing device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a computing device (such as a laptop computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, desktop computer, or portable keyboard device, etc.) that includes a keyboard with individual keycaps coupled to a circuit board and extending through keyboard apertures in a device housing. The computing device may also include at least one microphone positioned within the housing directly below the keyboard and below the circuit board. An audio channel may be formed from the microphone through the hole in the circuit board and between one or more of the key caps and an edge of the keyboard hole, thereby enabling the microphone to detect sounds external to the computing device through the audio channel while being located in an unobtrusive position that does not distract from the aesthetic appeal of the device. In some implementations, the microphone is completely hidden from the user without a dedicated visible microphone opening common with many computing devices.

In some embodiments, multiple microphones may be included within the device housing to provide robust audio performance at both near-field and far-field distances. For example, in some embodiments, a computing device may include at least three microphones arranged in a triangular arrangement. A first microphone and a second microphone of the microphones may be configured and optimized to detect near-field audio and may be disposed within the device housing in an area spaced apart from the device keypad. The third microphone may be configured and optimized for far-field audio and positioned directly below the keyboard as described herein.

In some embodiments, a computing device may include a multi-part case having a top shell and a bottom shell connected at an exposed portion to form a base portion. The computing device may include an upper portion (or cover) that may house a display screen and other related components, while a base portion may house various processors, memory, drivers, ports, batteries, a keyboard, a touchpad, and the like. The base portion may be formed from a multi-part housing, which may comprise a top outer housing part and a bottom outer housing part, each of which may be formed in a particular manner at the interface region, so that the gaps and offsets between these outer housing parts are not only reduced, but are also more consistent between devices during mass production of the devices. These general topics are set forth in more detail below.

The base portion may also include one or more microphones to capture audio signals for recording or processing. Two or more microphones may be used together to determine an audio source direction that may be used to improve audio capture performance. In one embodiment, the spacing between the two microphones may correspond to an increased sensitivity of the audio signal centered at the selected frequency. In one embodiment, the selected frequency may be about 8 kilohertz (KHz), which may be in the human voice range.

In one embodiment, an audio channel enabling a microphone to receive an audio signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may be positioned in the base portion in a gap between the keycap and the keyboard web. For example, some computing devices include a small gap around each keycap of the keyboard to enable the keycap to extend out of the device housing and connect to a keyboard printed circuit board positioned within the housing. Some embodiments of the present disclosure utilize this gap to accomplish the second objective of forming an audio channel between the microphone and the environment external to the computing device that passes through the gap.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to fig. 1-7. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to the figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments.

Fig. 1-7 illustrate various views of a computing device, according to various embodiments. Fig. 1 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of a computing device in the form of a computing device 100 in an open (lid) state. In some embodiments, the computing device 100 may be portable. Computing device 100 may include a base portion 102 formed from a bottom case 104 secured to a top case 106. Bottom case 104 and top case 106 together define a housing 140, which housing 140 defines an internal cavity in which various electronic components of computing device 100 are housed. The housing 140 may include a bottom wall (not visible in fig. 1), a top wall 142 opposite the bottom wall, and a side wall 144 extending between the bottom wall and the top wall around the perimeter of the base portion 102.

Base portion 102 may be pivotally connected to cover portion 108 via a clutch assembly 110, which is hidden from view by the decorative wall. The base portion 102 may have a generally uniform shape sized to receive the clutch assembly 110 and an insert portion 112 adapted to assist a user in lifting the cover 108 with, for example, a finger. The top case 106 may be configured to house various user input devices, such as a keyboard 114 and a touchpad 116. Keyboard 114 may include a plurality of low profile key cap assemblies arranged in one or more rows, with each assembly having an associated key cap 118. Each key cap 118 may extend through an opening or hole in the top wall 142 of the housing 140 and may be connected to a printed circuit board within the housing 140. A small gap may extend around the perimeter of each key cap 118 between the key cap and the housing 140, as discussed in more detail in fig. 2A and 2B. In one embodiment, an audio transducer (not shown) may output an audio signal, such as music, using a selected portion of the keypad 114. In the described embodiment, one or more microphones may be located at a spaced location from other microphones at the side of top case 106 away from keyboard 114 to improve the frequency response of the associated audio circuitry.

Each of the plurality of keypads 118 may have symbols printed thereon for identifying keyboard inputs associated with a particular keypad. The keyboard 114 may be arranged to receive discrete inputs using finger movements at each keypad, known as keystrokes. In the described embodiment, the symbols on each keypad may be laser etched, thereby forming a very clear and durable imprint that will not fade with frequently applied keystrokes during the life of the computing device 100. To reduce the parts count, the keycap assembly may be reset to the power button. For example, keypad 118-1 may be used as a power button. In this way, the total number of components in the computing device 100 may be reduced accordingly.

The touchpad 116 may be configured to receive finger gestures. The finger gesture may include touch events from more than one finger applied in unison. Gestures may also include single finger touch events such as strokes or taps. The gestures may be sensed by sensing circuitry in the touch pad 116 and converted into electrical signals that are passed to a processing unit for evaluation. In this way, computing device 100 may be controlled, at least in part, by touch.

The cover portion 108 is movable from the closed position with the aid of a clutch assembly 110 to remain in the open position and back again. Lid portion 108 may include a display 120 and a back cover 122, where back cover 122 may add aesthetic finish (cosmetic finish) to lid portion 108 and also provide structural support to at least display 120. In the depicted embodiment, cover portion 108 may include a mask (also referred to as a display trim) 124 that surrounds display 120. Display trim 124 may be formed from an opaque material (such as ink) deposited on top of or within a protective layer of display 120. The display trim 124 may enhance the overall appearance of the display 120 by hiding operational and structural components and focusing attention on the active area of the display 120.

The display 120 may display visual content such as a graphical user interface, still images such as photographs, and video media items such as movies. The display 120 may display images using any suitable technology, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), and so forth. The computing device 100 may also include an image capture device 126 located on a transparent portion of the display trim 124. The image capture device 126 may be configured to capture both still images and video images. The cover portion 108 may be formed to have a unitary body construction that may provide additional strength and resiliency to the cover portion 108, which is particularly important to stresses due to repeated opening and closing. In addition to the increase in strength and resiliency, the unitary body construction of the cap portion 108 may reduce overall part count by eliminating separate support features.

Data ports 128 and 132 may be used to transfer data and/or power between one or more external circuits and computing device 100. The

data ports

128, 130, and 132 may include, for example, an input slot 128 that may be used to accept a memory card, such as a flash memory card, and the data ports 130 and 132 may be used to accommodate data connections, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Thunderbolt, and the like. In some embodiments, speaker grids 134 disposed on opposite sides of keyboard 114 may be used to output audio from associated audio components enclosed within base portion 102. In one embodiment, a microphone for capturing audio may be positioned in the microphone region 136. Although not shown in fig. 1, in other embodiments, a microphone for capturing audio may be positioned in the area 138, or other portion of the housing 140 or cover 108.

FIG. 2A is a detailed view of a portion 200 of the top case of the computing device 100 shown in FIG. 1. This portion 200 of the case shows a perforated area 202 of the top case, which perforated area 202 may correspond to the microphone area 361 shown in fig. 1 in some embodiments. The perforated region 202 allows sound to be projected from one or more speakers disposed below the perforated region 202. Further, the perforations allow sound to pass into the case to be received by one or more microphones (e.g., microphones located in microphone area 136) inside the case of the computing device. In various embodiments, the first microphone 204 may be attached at a first location on a structural support element disposed within the housing 140 below the perforated area 202. In various embodiments, the second microphone 206 may be attached at a second location on a structural support element within the housing 140 below the perforated area 202. In some embodiments,

microphones

204 and 206 may each be spaced apart from a keyboard region of device 100 and optimized to pick up near-field audio, such as a voice signal generated by a user of device 100 while the user is actively using device 100.

Fig. 2A further depicts a keyboard web 208 between a plurality of keys 210. The web 208 includes a plurality of apertures 214 formed through the top wall 142 at the upper surface of the housing 140. In some embodiments, the web 208 includes a separate hole 214 for each separate key 210, and each key 210 includes a key cap 216, the key cap 216 coupled to a keyboard circuit board (not shown in fig. 2A) disposed below the keyboard within the housing 140. Each hole 214 in the web 208 may have a shape that is similar but slightly larger than the shape of its respective key cap 216, the key caps 216 extending through the holes 214 in the web 208 forming a slight gap 220 between each key cap and the perimeter of its respective hole 214, as shown more clearly in fig. 2B, which is an enlarged view of the lower left key cap 216 depicted in fig. 2A. The gap 220 enables the key cap 216 to be depressed by a user toward the keyboard circuit board without obstruction by the web 208. The width (W) of the gap 220 (i.e., the distance between the edges of the keycaps 216 and the edges of the apertures 214) may be determined based on reasonable manufacturing tolerances to ensure that each keycap 216 fits within its respective aperture 214. The gap 220 may generally be fairly narrow (e.g., less than 1.5mm in some embodiments, and less than 1mm in other embodiments).

In various embodiments, a third microphone included in device 100 may be located within the bottom case below keyboard 114. As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, an audio channel 212 (shown in phantom) may be formed through a gap 220 between the keycap and the keyboard web 208. For example, in some embodiments, the audio channel 212 may extend from the third microphone (not shown in fig. 2A or 2B) through a hole in the keyboard circuit board (also not shown in fig. 2A or 2B) and through the gap 220. Since the audio channel uses the gap 220 as an exit of the channel from the housing 104, the audio channel 220 may be completely hidden from the user, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing appearance while enabling the microphone to capture audio from the surrounding environment.

In some embodiments, the third microphone may be optimized to pick up far-field (e.g., greater than 3 meters) audio, thereby enabling a user to activate a digital voice assistant mode of device 100 or use device 100 for a video conference when the user is many feet away from device 100 (e.g., on the other side of a room). In such applications, the user is less likely to actively type on the keyboard, and thus the noise associated with such typing is less likely to be a problem.

Fig. 3 shows an interior view 300 of a portion of the housing 140 in the area of the microphone and battery tray. In various implementations, the first microphone 304 may be attached at a first location on the structural support element 302 within the housing 140. In various embodiments, the second microphone 306 may be attached at a second location on the structural support element 302 within the housing 140. Structural support element 302 may be attached to bottom shell 308. In various implementations, the third microphone 312 may be attached to a printed circuit board in a recess in the battery tray 314.

Microphones

304 and 306 may represent

microphones

204, 206 discussed in fig. 2A, and microphone 312 may represent a third microphone discussed above without a reference number. Thus, in some embodiments,

microphones

304 and 306 may be positioned below speaker grid 136, while microphone 312 may be positioned below keyboard 114 as shown in fig. 1.

Microphones

304, 306, and 312 may be part of a three-microphone array arranged in a triangular pattern and optimized to pick up both near-field audio and far-field audio. The microphone array may employ beamforming to improve reception of sound received at the microphone array, particularly from far-field (e.g., greater than 3 meters) distances. Employing a three-microphone array within computing device 100 may reduce word error rates from far-field sources as compared to conventional two-microphone designs. Beamforming improves sound reception by combining elements in a microphone array in such a way that sound waves at certain angles undergo constructive interference, while others undergo destructive interference. The ideal condition for beamforming is to arrange the microphone arrays in an equilateral triangle. A perfect equilateral triangular arrangement may not always be possible due to space and geometric limitations that may exist in various computing devices. For example, in the embodiment depicted in fig. 3, the microphone array is arranged in a near equilateral triangular arrangement with exemplary distances between the individual microphones of 14.7cm, 16cm, and 19.6 cm.

Fig. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary keyboard printed circuit board 400, which keyboard printed circuit board 400 may be included within the housing 140 shown in fig. 1, underneath the keyboard 114 shown in fig. 1, according to some embodiments. The printed circuit board 400 may have an upper surface (not visible in fig. 4) and a lower surface 406. In some embodiments, a microphone (not shown in fig. 4), such as the third microphone 312 shown in fig. 3, may be attached to the lower surface 406 of the printed circuit board 400, as discussed below with respect to fig. 5. The printed circuit board 400 may have a plurality of traces 404 to carry one or more electrical signals between various electronic components attached to the printed circuit board 400. For example, trace 404 may carry a signal indicating that a single key attached to circuit board 400 at attachment location 408 is activated (i.e., depressed). In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 400 may have one or more holes formed through the printed circuit board 400 for accessing various components. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 400 may have a hole 402 through the printed circuit board, the hole 402 being part of the audio channel 212 discussed above and shown in fig. 2A. In some embodiments, a microphone, such as third microphone 312, may be attached to lower surface 406 of printed circuit board 400 through hole 402 and operably coupled to receive audio through channel 212 via hole 402.

Fig. 5 is an internal view of a portion 500 of a computing device (such as a portion of base portion 104 of computing device 100 shown in fig. 1), the portion 500 including an audio channel 524 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio channel 524 extending from an audio inlet located at a gap 526 formed between first keycap 528a and web 522 to microphone 502. The audio channel may be defined by one or more components of the base portion as described herein. Keycap 528a may represent keycap 216 shown in fig. 2A and 2B, while web 522 may represent web 208.

As shown in fig. 5, a microphone 502 is disposed within the housing of the device 100 and attached to a support element, such as a stiffener 504. The stiffener 504 may be attached to a battery tray 508 or a different component of the computing device via an adhesive 506. In various embodiments, foam layer 510, one or more spacers 514, feature plate 516, electrical membrane 518, and one or more other elements together form an audio channel 524 between the layers to allow sound to travel from gap 526 between keyboard web 522 and first keycap 528a to microphone 502. The channel 524 continues between the layers through an aperture 532 in the microphone flex 534. The hole 532 may represent the hole 402 depicted in fig. 4. The foam 510 seals the microphone 502 to the keypad. Also shown in FIG. 5 is a second keycap 528b adjacent keycap 528 a. In some embodiments, channel 524 may incorporate a T-shaped vent 530 to collectively form a channel through multiple layers of the keyboard structure. The vent tube 530 may also provide a uniform cross-section for longer distances to maintain uniformity. Some or all of the various components described above, and/or other components within the base portion, may combine to form the audio channel 524. For example, as depicted in fig. 5, the audio channel 524 may be defined by the key cap 528a, the mesh 522, the membrane 518, the vent tube 530, the foam layer 510, the battery tray 508, the adhesive 506, the stiffener 504, and the flexible plate 534, all in one way or another to at least partially define the audio channel.

Fig. 6 is an internal view of a portion 600 of a computing device (such as a portion of the base portion 104 of the computing device 100), the portion 600 including an audio channel 624 according to another embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in fig. 6, microphone 602 is attached to a support element, such as printed circuit board 604, within the housing of device 100. In some implementations, the microphone 602 is attached to the printed circuit board 604 via an adhesive 606. In various embodiments, the microphone 602 is mounted in a recess of the battery tray 608. In some embodiments, the microphone 602 is disposed between the speaker 610 and the keyboard. The various components of the base portion may define an audio channel 624 such that the audio channel 624 extends from a gap 626 between the keyboard web 622 and the key cap 628a and through a hole or opening 612 to the microphone 602, which hole or opening 612 may correspond to the opening 402 discussed above with respect to fig. 4. In some embodiments, a silicon barrier 630 may be attached between the top surface of printed circuit board 604 and the back of keycap 628. The silicon barrier 630 may improve the channeling of sound to the microphone 602, thereby providing an improved sound path to the microphone and creating a sound path that does not capture undesirable noise such as may be generated by an internal computer fan or other components. Alternative keyboard architectures are possible, such as Printed Circuit Board (PCB) based keyboards employed on some portable computing devices, and metal feature board keyboards employed by other portable computing devices, as well as desktop keyboards.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, placing the microphone 602 in front of the speaker results in improved performance compared to placing the microphone behind the speaker. In some implementations, the microphone 602 may be used for beamforming, where beamforming is done in a way that nulls audio from behind the microphone (e.g., where the speaker is located) and emphasizes audio from in front of the microphone. As long as the microphone is in front of the speaker, the microphone can send an echo at the desired echo speaker feedback path. Embodiments of the present disclosure may use beamforming to listen to a user and filter out speakers from a computing device.

Fig. 7 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for porting a microphone through a keyboard of a computing device. At 702, the method can include forming a hole in a keyboard substrate. The keyboard substrate may include a bottom surface and a top surface. In some embodiments, the keyboard substrate may comprise a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The aperture may be any of a number of standard shapes, such as circular, oval, rectangular or square. The holes may be formed by any of the known techniques including drilling, cutting, laser drilling, or etching.

At 704, the method includes attaching a microphone to a bottom surface of the keyboard substrate such that the microphone passes through the aperture. In some embodiments, the microphone may completely cover the aperture. In some embodiments, attachment may be accomplished through the use of an adhesive. In some embodiments, the adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive. In some embodiments, the microphone may be soldered to the substrate.

At 706, the method includes forming a microphone port from a hole in the keyboard substrate through a gap between the keycap and the keyboard web. In some implementations, the gaps can be formed on multiple sides of the keycap. In some embodiments, the gap may be formed due to the alignment of the key and the mesh. In some embodiments, the gap may be formed by drilling. In some implementations, the microphone port can direct far-field sounds to the microphone.

At 708, the method may optionally include attaching a pair of microphones to a support structure below a perforation in a top case of the computing device, thereby forming a multi-microphone array. In some embodiments, the plurality of microphone arrays may include three microphones. In some embodiments, the three-microphone array may be formed in a triangular configuration. In some embodiments, the triangular configurations may have approximately equal distances.

It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be specified to the user.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be recognized that the foregoing invention may be embodied in many other specific forms and embodiments without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. For example, while the embodiments discussed above with respect to fig. 1-6 include three separate microphones as part of a microphone array, other embodiments of the present disclosure may include a single microphone. Some embodiments may include a dual microphone array, where a first microphone is located in a first position under the keypad and a second microphone is located in a second area/portion of the device 100 under the mesh. In some embodiments, the second microphone and the third microphone may be located under a touch bar positioned above the keyboard. In some embodiments, the second microphone and the third microphone may be located below the keyboard with one or more microphone ports located in or in front of one or more sides of the housing. Additionally, in some implementations, an audio channel to a microphone under the keyboard can extend from the microphone through more than a single gap between the keycap and the keyboard web. For example, in some embodiments, the audio channel to the microphone may extend through a gap on the opposite side of the single key cap, and in other embodiments, the audio channel may extend through a first gap between the first key cap and the web and through a second gap between the second key cap and the web.

In addition, spatially relative terms, such as "bottom" or "top," and the like, may be used to describe one element and/or feature's relationship to another element(s) and/or feature(s), as illustrated, for example, in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use and/or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "bottom" surfaces may then be oriented "above" other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the disclosure have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from one implementation to another. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the disclosure, and what is intended by the applicants to be the scope of the disclosure, is the literal and equivalent scope of a set of claims that issue from this patent application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction. The specific details of particular embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a base portion comprising a keyboard, the keyboard comprising: a plurality of key caps extending from a plurality of openings in a top surface of the base portion, and a microphone support element having an aperture formed between an upper surface and a lower surface;

a microphone disposed within the base portion below the keyboard, coupled to the lower surface of the microphone support element, and aligned with the aperture; and

one or more internal components disposed in the base portion and defining an audio channel extending from the microphone through the aperture of the microphone support element to a gap formed between one of the plurality of key caps and a sidewall surface of one of the plurality of openings in the top surface of the base portion.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising: a pair of additional microphones disposed below a perforation in a top case of the computing device, the microphone and the pair of additional microphones forming a three-microphone array.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the three-microphone array is disposed in an equilateral triangle pattern.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the microphone support element comprises a printed circuit board.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising: a lid portion pivotally coupled to the base portion.

6. The computing device of claim 5, further comprising: a display within the cover portion.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising: a silicon barrier between the keycap and the microphone support element.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more internal components comprise a battery tray.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more internal components comprise a spacer and a foam layer.

10. A computing device, comprising:

a housing having a first outer surface defining a plurality of openings and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface;

a keyboard comprising a keyboard substrate disposed within the housing and a plurality of keycaps attached to the keyboard substrate, wherein the keyboard substrate comprises a hole formed through the keyboard substrate, and wherein each individual keycap of the plurality of keycaps protrudes through and fills a majority of a respective opening of the plurality of openings;

a first microphone disposed within the housing between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; and

one or more internal components disposed in the housing and defining an audio channel extending from the first microphone through the aperture and through a gap between one of the plurality of key caps and a respective one of the plurality of openings.

11. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising: a second microphone and a third microphone disposed within the housing in an area spaced apart from the keypad.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first microphone is optimized to receive far-field audio and the second and third microphones are optimized to receive near-field audio.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of openings in the first outer surface are spaced apart in one or more rows.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the one or more internal components comprise a battery tray.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more internal components comprise a spacer and a foam layer.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a housing having a first outer surface defining a plurality of openings spaced apart in one or more rows and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface;

a keyboard comprising a keyboard circuit board disposed within the housing and a plurality of keycaps attached to the keyboard circuit board, wherein the keyboard circuit board comprises a hole formed through the keyboard circuit board, and wherein each individual keycap of the plurality of keycaps protrudes through and fills a majority of a respective opening of the plurality of openings;

a first microphone and a second microphone disposed within the housing in an area spaced apart from the keypad;

a third microphone disposed within the housing between the keyboard circuit board and a second exterior surface; and

one or more internal components disposed in the base portion of the housing and defining an audio channel extending from the third microphone, through the aperture, and through a gap between one of the plurality of key caps and a respective one of the plurality of openings.

17. The computing device of claim 16, the first microphone, the second microphone, and the third microphone are part of a three-microphone array arranged in a triangular pattern.

18. The computing device of claim 16, further comprising: a silicon barrier between one of the plurality of key caps and the keyboard circuit board, the silicon barrier having an aperture aligned with the aperture of the keyboard circuit board.

19. The computing device of claim 16, further comprising: a lid portion pivotally coupled to the base portion.

20. The computing device of claim 19, further comprising: a display within the cover portion.